92FS opinions? Specifically double action/single action & safety

[AppleSeeds]

I have been considering purchasing a Beretta 92fs. Looking for opinions:

1) Primary use would be for range practice, potentially getting into IDPA or USPSA. I don't think this would be a good CCW due to its size. Do you think this is a good pistol for those uses? If not, what else would you recommend.

2) Double Action/Single action. Looks like the 92fs is a double action for the first shot then single action there after. Is this good a feature or an annoying feature? Would it still be good for IDPA/USPSA or is this setup not preferred

3) How is the safety? Is it easy to get to and operate? I've read some people are opposed to safety's entirely but I'd like to know your thoughts.

As always, I am grateful for any advice or insights you guys have to offer.

 

[TonyDedo]

I have been considering purchasing a Beretta 92fs. Looking for opinions:

1) Primary use would be for range practice, potentially getting into IDPA or USPSA. I don't think this would be a good CCW due to its size. Do you think this is a good pistol for those uses? If not, what else would you recommend.

I think the Beretta is a great range gun - accurate, reliable, very controllable recoil, and fun to shoot. If you needed to use it for home defense, it's a great option. You're correct, it's too big to CCW. I can't comment with any authority on action shooting, but I think there might be caliber restrictions in certain classes that you might run into with a 9mm.

2) Double Action/Single action. Looks like the 92fs is a double action for the first shot then single action there after. Is this good a feature or an annoying feature? Would it still be good for IDPA/USPSA or is this setup not preferred

It's only double action if you're carrying it in Condition 2 (hammer down, round in the chamber). For range use, you cock the hammer when you load & chamber a round, so unless you decock the gun (don't see why you'd do that often at the range), you won't run into a double action trigger pull. Again, I can't comment on action shooting, but I never liked the concept of a D/A first shot and S/A follow up. It throws off my rythm.

3) How is the safety? Is it easy to get to and operate? I've read some people are opposed to safety's entirely but I'd like to know your thoughts.

As always, I am grateful for any advice or insights you guys have to offer.

I am most definitely NOT a fan of the 92FS safety system. A D/A trigger and a manual safety is redundant, if you ask me, and you already know my feelings on D/A, S/A systems. Plus the manual safety is hard/unnatural for me to reach. And you can't carry in Condition 1, which is the gun's greatest flaw, in my opinion.

I love my 92FS, but it doesn't go anywhere except to the range.

 

[DukeInFlorida]

I love the M9/92FS in 9mm.

It's reliable as hell, and will shoot just about anything that I feed it.

I usually use it as my carry gun, and keep it loaded, safety OFF, and ready to shoot, DA.

I very much like the action of the safety in letting down the hammer, and at the same time rotating the connector to the firing pin, making it impossible to fire from a hammer strike of any sort.

I've got almost 10,000 rounds through mine, including a lot of cast lead bullets, and it has never failed me. All of my loads have been reloads, not a single box of factory ammo, ever. And, it always goes boom.

As with any semi-auto, lubrication is the key to success, and I always lube my slide, and any and all moving parts with Militec-1 ( http://www.militec-1.com/ ) Don't mind the obvious religion stiff on that site, they make the lube that the army guys are currently using on their M9's (same as the 92FS). I've even mopped some in the bore of my gun, and now cleaning is a breeze!

One of the things I like the MOST about the M9/92FS is the feel of it in my hand. It's one of the few guns that feel perfect in my hand. The weight is right. It's not some punk-ass plastic crap. It's a real man's gun. Pretty close to the feel and heft of a 1911, except just a bit better.

I would urge you to get one, and spend some time finding a US M9 type. They are out there, in new and used condition.

Two pieces of advice:
1) Get a steel or stainless steel spring guide rod. The current manufacturing, at the Army's request, is a plastic rod, which is what came with mine a few years ago. There are several companies that make the steel replacements, and it makes the gun more "original"
2) Get Beretta made magazines. Don't get any cheap aftermarket ones, tryin to save $$$. They don't work well. The Beretta mags have always been flawless for me. I have five mags, which I rotate my carry ammo through. When I carry, I have a full loaded gun (15 rounds in the mag, one in the chamber), plus two 15 round mags on me. Just in case the Zombies attack.
2a) If you live in Mass, then the 10 round mags will have to do. Get Beretta versions of those also.

 

[AppleSeeds]

Thank you both very much for the information. I definitely know about the feel, that's one of the biggest things drawing me to it. I went down to the shop and held a sigma, M&P 9mm, and the 92fs. Even though they are clearly different price ranges the 92fs has the best feel.

Can you add night sights to the 92fs? If so, how expensive/involved is it?
Any action shooters have any comments on the 92fs in competition?

 

[Mike-Mike]

Can you add night sights to the 92fs? If so, how expensive/involved is it? Yes, Depending on the sights you buy it could be $120-$200 installed.
Any action shooters have any comments on the 92fs in competition? Nothing wrong with this gun for competition however you will find yourself shooting that DA first shot so you will need to practice that trigger pull and quickly adjust to the second pull. Some people do that very well, some , not so much.

 

[BossHarley]

You may also want to look at the Sig 226. Same type of DA/SA without any manual safety.

 

[kristo]

I shot a 92FS in my first IDPA match a while ago. While the 92FS is an excellent gun it is not designed for competition. IDPA rules say that if you have a safety you must engage it when holstering the gun. So, in addition to having to deal with DA you have to remember to and get comfortable with flipping the safety off while drawing. As it turned out my first (DA) shots were off and on the one stage that had a disappearing target, I forgot to disengage the safety. You can still pull the trigger, the gun simply doesn't do anything...
Anyway, if you are buying for competition get an M&P or a Glock. For almost anything else the Beretta is the way to go.

On that very first IDPA match, John Kelly was my mentor. I am eternally thankful to him for having a great time and as a result continuing with action shooting sports.

 

[News Shooter]

I just bought a Beretta 92FS Inox yesterday. This gun was the last one on my "bucket list." IMHO it is the most beautiful, best balanced pistol in the world.
Your mileage may vary

 

[M1911]

I'm not a fan. First off, I'm not a fan of DA/SA in general. I think it takes far more time to learn to shoot a fast, accurate DA first shot, and then a fast, accurate, SA shot, than it does it simply learn to operate a safety (e.g., 1911) or deal with a striker-fired trigger (e.g., Glock). Second off, I'm really, really not a fan of slide mounted safeties. They are too high to easily operate with your strong hand in its normal position, and it is easy to accidentally move them while cycling the slide.

If you really want DA/SA, I'd go with a Sig. If you are open to a striker-fired gun, I'd look at a Glock or S&W M&P.

 

[Supermoto]

I have been considering purchasing a Beretta 92fs. Looking for opinions:

1) Primary use would be for range practice, potentially getting into IDPA or USPSA. I don't think this would be a good CCW due to its size. Do you think this is a good pistol for those uses? If not, what else would you recommend.

2) Double Action/Single action. Looks like the 92fs is a double action for the first shot then single action there after. Is this good a feature or an annoying feature? Would it still be good for IDPA/USPSA or is this setup not preferred
.

There are better guns to start out in USPSA with. I can only think on one very good shooter than runs a Beretta.

http://benstoeger.com/